EVER wondered what that tiny black circle is next to your iPhone camera lenses?
It’s actually a special sensor that can do some pretty unique stuff.
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The dot’s official name is Lidar (Light Detection and Ranging), which is a remote sensing method that uses a pulsed laser to measure distances.
It’s used by mapping satellites to examine the surface of the Earth and by self-driving cars to keep tabs on their surroundings on the road.
Apple added a Lidar sensor to the iPad Pro 2020 and launched its first iPhones with the technology later that year.
It’s now available on the iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
It’s used for a number of handy features that use augmented reality (AR), such as Apple’s Measure app, which turns your device into a tape measure.
But as TikToker kaansanity shows, it means you can create some pretty cool 3D models.
He suggests one app called PolyCam.
“Scan anything you want with your phone like so,” he explains.
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“It’ll create a super cool 3D model out of it, and you’ll be able to scan places, objects, and even create clones of different people.”
In future, Apple apparently plans to load its Lidar technology into a “mixed reality headset” rumoured for launch next year.
Apple has been reportedly working on virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality for years.
Rivals like Google, Microsoft, Samsung and Facebook have all released products in the sector.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
